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Sya is a 6’ tall Elven Woman of about 120lbs. She has long flame red hair, and emerald green eyes. Her skin shows lots of time spent in the light of the moon and is quite pale. Most of the time she is wearing Black padded leather, unless the situation calls for something more elegant, or something more impressive. Also there is a gauntlet on her right arms covered with gems and precious stones. She is generally a cheerful person including in battle some have compared her to a swordsmaster with the way that she taunts her opponents. Still Somewhat naïve Sya, looks at the world for its adventure, she doesn’t worry about the corruption of the political leaders, of the Theran Empire across the majority of Barsaive. Still when thrown into combat can be quite the force to deal with, her passion often gets the best of her and must at times be held not to follow a retreating enemy. When in town She will spin tells, at the taverns and to anyone who will listen, thus she has been dubbed the Honorable Thief/Troubadour, by most who know of her. Which as of yet is still very few, but she plans that one day her name will be known so well that her parents will know of her deeds long before she sends them a letter, telling them about her adventures.
Suspended from the second highest window of the north tower of the Nighthawk Castle, by a thin rope made of silk, rest a lone dark figure. From a casual glance the figure appears to be only a shadow, but upon a closer inspection one would notice a thin, curvaceous body of a young woman dressed from head too toe in black. Who is this person you ask, well she could be a thief leaving the site of her latest heist, or could she be a princess, board with her life in the castle attempting to get away. In both aspects one would be correct. As she rest, she looks back up at the only home she has ever known her whole life. She retired there only a few hours prior to this moment, after her father’s latest attempt at finding a prince to marry her. The party had been nice, lots of dancing and boys trying to win her favor, but as before the party ended in failure, at least in her father’s eyes. For her she was happy it had been a failure, the idea of being married to some pompous, nobler than thou prince made her sick. No, for her it was to be the life her father and mother had lived before taking the kingdom back from her father’s Uncle. Her father had been a Beastmaster, and her mother an Archeress, together living a life of adventure. That is what Sya Dina Nighthawk wanted for her life, Adventure! Preylain Nighthawk and Crystal Catarii had hoped to keep her away from that life style, and so strove to keep her locked away in her tower or constantly trying to marry her to a prince the would keep her busy. Unfortunately, for their plans Sya had caught a very strong case of the wanderlust during a diplomatic trip, she joined as a child. Fortunately for Sya, her nursemaid had at one time been a very successful thief and saw the potential in her from the beginning. Nya being too old to marry and not being able to have any children of her own, settled for helping raise Sya, and eventually started to train her. The rate at which she learned was amazing, almost as if she was born to the magic of thievery. Now as all would think, thief was not a proper discipline for a princess. So Nya also taught Sya skills in storytelling, singing, and acting. On her own, Sya learned the flute. The kingdom thought they had themselves a budding troubadour, but truth be told they had a very good actress, who while amazing old and young alike, was also lifting purses, and other belongings. Sya enjoyed her life, but the constant play acting for her parents was getting old, not to mention the constant insistence on marriage. Tonight all that would end, Nya had told her, earlier that day that it was time for her to spread her wings and see the world. So as soon as was proper to leave the party Sya did, with more than a few Princes with their crushed hopes shining in their eyes from tears. Sya had been looking for information on a good quest or Caravan to get her started and had heard of a merchant who would be leaving Bartertown soon. Now she just had to get there before they left and join up.
A week later Sya joined the caravan and found herself enjoying the ruff life of guarding a caravan. Yes, her body had taken sometime getting used to the pains of traveling, but she soon found that the pain was only momentary and soon was nothing but another memory to keep in her journal. After the month long trip from Bartertown to Altar, Sya found herself with 40 gold and some more memories. Not being far from home she hoped that no one would recognize her. She had recently heard that there was an award for information of her where abouts. Not knowing what to do next she went to a local Adventurers’ Guild to check for another job. When she arrived she found not only a job but some new friends. An Elf named Marquis Van Ulrich was looking for a thief that could handle traps. They were about to go on an expedition 3000 years in the making. She jumped up behind him and said a little too excitedly, “I am a thief who can handle traps sir; I would like to join you.” Marquis looked back at her and smiled. He could see with ease that she was a new adventurer, but perhaps that is what they needed in the Aces High some new blood. “Very well Princess, you can join us on our expedition.” When he said princess Sya went white from head to toe. Had she been caught, did this man know who she was, or was that just his way of talking to a younger elf. Marquis seeing the loss of color that he might have said something wrong, but not wanting to loose her before even getting to see if she could do the job, he grabbed her arm and said, “but first I a test, I have something that I need you to open for me if you can, then you are definitely the one I need.” He started pulling her towards the door and the tavern where the rest of the group was. Allowing herself to be dragged along, she was racking her brain think of a way to escape, but oh if it wasn’t what she thought she would loose a great job.
They walked into the Tavern, and a group got up as they approached. Sya had heard of the Aces High, and to be standing in the presence of so many legends at one time was overwhelming. Marquis sent one of them to get something he called the cylinder. When she walked back in she was carrying a large cylinder on a large stand. Suddenly Sya drew in a sharp breath, sitting right there in front of here was her family crest. She had never seen anything like this and wondered at it. She looked right at Marquis and set her face with the most stubborn look she could manage, and then said in the sternest and committed voice she could muster over her fear, “You will not take me back; I left because I don’t want anything to do with my parents’ plans for my life. It is MY life and they will not rule it as they do their kingdom.” Completely taken aback by the young girls tone and demeanor, Marquis looked at her with his mouth hanging open. “I have no idea what you are talking about young lady; I have no intention of taking you back to your parents. This is simply a box brought from the house that is said to be the entrance to a kear over 3000 years old. I only just recently found the key, and opened it to find this map. I re-locked this container and intend to have you open it as a test of your skills. First though I would like you to sit down and explain to me the reason for your burst.” Turning a thousand different shades of red, Sya looked at her feet, like a child being scolded. At the request for an explanation she got a bit worried again, then looking around at the faces of the Aces High and back to Marquis she suddenly felt all her fear go away. These were adventurers after all they understood the wanderlust she felt. So she sat down at the table and explained everything to them. After an hour marquis looked up at her and laughed; “now I understand the loss of color back in the guild when I called you Princess. So you thought that I had caught you and was going to take you back to your parents. That also explains your reaction to that,” points to the box,” don’t you worry love, none of us would dream of taking you back. Now about that test, if you would please open that box for me.” With loads of relief on her face, Sya took to opening the box, all the while her mind flying through her family history wondering where this box came from. After a few minutes without success she put aside her thoughts and put her mind to the task. Soon the magic started to pour in and then there was small snap, and the lid pops open. She stands and turns to find the whole of the Aces High staring at her with disbelief on their faces. Marquis stands and says. “Darling you are most definitely not going home, you are coming with us to the forest of Landis.” To the other patrons of the Tavern, Sya might have been pinched or told that she was going to be given a million gold just for sitting there, as she jumped straight up, then as she landed ran and hugged Marquis, while trying to jump around in circles. Soon she grew tired from the exertion, and stopped jumping and spinning. She looked around at the group who were all smiling and laughing at her display and at Marquis’ look of surprise, then smiled and blushed and said, “Sorry I was just so excited. I really am glad to have found a group to work with.” Marquis smiled and said, “We all understand Sya, but please no more little episodes like that please.” She sat down with the Aces High and they talked through the night, Sya listening and absorbing the stories told by the group. She also found out that it would at least be two weeks before they left for the Kear. At the end of the night Marquis walk Sya to her room and as they approached the door he said, “You know Sya I am sure your parents would really like to hear from you. And I am sure they will understand more than you think if you tell them the truth about how you feel. I know it won’t be easy, but perhaps sending them a letter to tell them how you are doing and to explain everything. Also I would like to ask that if you do send them a letter, you would ask them what they know of the Nighthawks in the area of Landis. Perhaps they can give us some idea of what we might find there.” Sya looks back and somewhat shaken and says, “I think I will send them a letter but I don’t want them to know where I am, knowing them they will either send someone after me or come themselves there is already and award out for information of my where abouts. Perhaps you can send them a letter and say that you found out that the symbol was our family crest and would like to know more information about that part of the family.” She looks at Marquis hopefully that he will agree with her and not tell them that she is with him. “Very well young one I will do as you say, but trust me your parent will understand, they are just worried about you, you are their only daughter and the future of their kingdom does lie on your shoulders.” With that said he bids her a good night’s rest and then turn towards his own room.
That night Sya dreams of adventures and her parents beaming with pride at her helping a kear full of people some her own relatives to find the freedom of the world. When she awakes in the morning she is rested and ready for a full day. First she set to cleaning up and then works on the letter. By noon the letter is written and given to a messenger and sent to her parents, she hopes that Marquis is right and that her parents will understand. The two weeks fly by and they are loading on to a ship to leave for the forest surrounding what was once Landis. It is an Airship fitted to be able to fly close to Death’s Sea, so they aren’t scalded when they fly near it. They find a clearing that in the middle of the forest to land in that is close to the house. From the air Sya sees something that takes her breath away the clearing is only a small part of a large symbol, later they find that the walls of the Kear outline the Symbol deep below the ground. The symbol is that of her family crest and again she wonders if there are any of her relations there. They land and find their way to the house. The house is common enough and looks like no more than an old tree cutters cottage. Inside they find the clean livable residence of a librarian. Shelves upon shelves of books along with other things of day to day life fill the house. One book in particular sticks out with the Nighthawk Family seal on the cover. Marquis examines the book for clues but finds a language like none he has ever seen. He soon gives up and places it in his bag for later study. Sya is the first to find the door to the Kear. Hidden in the Pantry in the kitchen is a solid and magical door. The mage of the group is able to open it after a couple of hours of study. Sya takes lead as they head down the passage to the Kear. Soon they come to a set of stairs the lead down further, and widen to a large open room. In the middle of the room sits nine crystal stalactites, pointing up. Upon closer inspection they find each filled with a person the eight outer ones have one of each of the eight races in them. The center one holds an Elven boy of about eleven or twelve years of age. Everyone spreads out and starts to examine other areas of the room for any clues. Marquis stays near the crystals and examines them each one by one, then touches the center one looking at the young boy. Almost as if his touch activated something the crystal started to melt and soon the boy lay in his arms. Then out of nowhere a large multi-eyed snake like creature attacks us. The group barely defeats it, and saves the boy. Amazingly the other crystals stay intact when touched and even stand up to being hit by an angry dwarf’s axe, the snake moved at just the right moment. Soon the boy wakes up and starts speaking in a strange language that none of the group has ever heard, but apparently he understood dwarven. It was an older form, closer to Scythan than to the common dwarven spoken now, but enough that we could all communicate. After a while Marquis starts to introduce everyone when he gets to Sya she asks Lucian about his gauntlet before Marquis could say her last name, not wanting to scare the boy or start anything so soon after him being awoken. Sya soon started taking care of Lucian when he wasn’t with Marquis, she enjoyed talking with him and those watching soon saw the seen as a big sister taking care of her little brother. Sya didn’t mind that or the comments from the others, she liked the idea of a little brother and who knows maybe he was a younger cousin after all. With Lucian’s help Marquis start to work on the book that had been found in the house above. The first section they were able to translate was about a cousin of the king sending a message though some central core crystal. The message was not a good one but it was enough to say that there were other Nighthawks in rule in other places. This intrigued Sya, as it showed more that perhaps she and Lucian were cousins after all. Then book got into the part about Lucian’s parents being married and a man cursing the Kear or keep as they called it, to baroness, fueling the curse with his own life. Ten years later Lucian is born and is the only child in the whole Keep. In this Sya feels for Lucian, having known what it was like to be one of the few children in her parents kingdom and not having any playmates her own age. As the story went on they found that Lucian was raised practically by the whole keep. Everyone had a hand in teaching him something. On one of his birthdays Lucian was presented with his first Gauntlet. It had actually belonged to the man who cursed the Keep. Lucian enjoyed playing with the Gauntlet and learning its abilities. Soon he was started on the path of the noble thief, which brought more snickering and jest towards Sya for Lucian even followed the same path as her. One day during his training Lucian found a hidden room that had been forgotten, in it was housed an armory of the Gauntlet.
Sya found that too intriguing and immediately took to searching for the room while Marquis and Lucian finished translating the book. When she returned, she was smiling like a kid who stole a cookie from a cookie jar and didn’t get caught; she had a large sack full of bulky objects. She sat down next to Lucian and Marquis and pulled one such object out. It was a gauntlet similar to the one Lucian was now wearing though Lucian’s was much more decorated, which he explained was because it was the one the king or high general would wear. Sya settled down and studied it for a little while. Marquis told her not to put it on, but she did anyway. She was sick for hours. After she regained her composer and her stomach, she started to concentrate on using the gauntlet. Soon to everyone’s surprise more so her own she was fully covered in full plate mail with a grand broadsword to match. Lucian laughed and stood and did the same with his own as if it was a natural thing to him. Then started to refine the armor and weapons to those more suitable for an honorable thief, and start to instruct Sya on how to do the same. Which of course brought more laughs and jests from the group as the Teacher had just become the attentive student. After a month of exploring the keep more it came time to leave and restock. They all loaded on the ship and when they got back to Altar, Sya decided it was time to move on to more adventures. With promises to keep in touch, especially with Lucian, Sya started on her way. She soon started making a legend for herself as the traveling Thief/Troubadour, though she never got any official training as a troubadour (possibly a second discipline for later).
Four years later, Lucian finds Sya in a small village and corners her. He isn’t exactly angry but is adamant that she share what she knows of their possibly being related. And soon they find themselves on the road to home, a road that Sya had been dreading for a long time. After a weeks worth of travel they arrive at the Nighthawk Castle. Only to find the gates shut and locked. When they inquire from a guard about entering he says that no one may enter except the Royal Family, and those they give permission to. Sya was not going to give up her name, so they walked away. Lucian looked at her and asked, “So we going to climb the wall and find out what is going on in there?” Sya looked at him with pain in her eyes, but then she surprised him by saying, “Yes, I need to know what is going on, and I know just the spot to get in.” Soon they are standing at the base of the North Tower; when they looking up to the highest window, to their utter amazement there stands wide open the same window that years before Sya had left from. They are soon effortlessly climbing the wall to the window, and then standing inside her room. Sya giggles quietly under her breath, at a sudden thought. Looking over at her, Lucian kind of hums to her, as if asking what is so funny. She turns with a mischievous smile on her face and says quietly, “This is the first time I have ever had a boy in my room and I haven’t lived here in years.” Lucian returns a smile at her little joke and they head for the door. Suddenly they stop as a dagger lands in the door just ahead of them. They turn to find an older woman leaning on the bed, staring at them with an anger that neither of them will never be sure of. The woman looks at Lucian then to Sya and says, “I knew you couldn’t stay away forever like you should have, no mater how your parents treated you, you couldn’t stop loving them could you?” Sya is hurt by the woman’s words and is not sure what to do. Lucian asks her, “Who is this woman, Sya should we tie her up and gag her so that we can get on with finding out what is going on here?” “No, Sya says, she was my nursemaid and my first teacher. No knot we could tie would keep her anyway.” Sya turns to the woman and says, “Yes Nya I have come back and yes I do still love them. They only meant well, I just couldn’t live the life they wanted for me. Now tell me what has happened here, why are the gates shut and barred?” Nya looks at Sya and laughs, “You are no thief you are still the pitiful pup I tried to teach the art to, you will never be a good thief till you can truly not rely on others.” “A Good Thief who would use their skills to open a kear thought abandoned and frees its people or a good thief who would steel bread from a starving child after eating a feast in a tavern?” Lucian asks of Nya, with his voice full of contempt for her type of thief, but then he notice that there are tears in Sya’s eyes and watches as she approaches the woman. “What has happen to you Nya, this isn’t the woman I knew, the one who raised me and taught me to live? What has happened here that could change you so much?”
With speed and agility defying her age Nya reaches out and slaps Sya across the face. “Ha, the girl I taught would have seen that coming and stayed just out of reach. What happened, you left that is what happened. Your blessed parents locked me in here as punishment for letting you go. Since then I get meals slid under the door and never a visitor. You are the first people in this room other than me since you left four years ago. And don’t go thinking you can get in through that door, oh no they went and had a mage put a spell on it, it won’t open till I am dead.” “I don’t believe you Nya, my parents would have never done that,” as Sya says this she walks over to the door and tries to open it, but it won’t. She looks at the lock and finds that it isn’t locked. She looks back at Lucian and sees his eyes sort of change color as he looks at the door. “It is true Sya there is a spell on the door, it will not open normally, and there is a thread going straight to her.” Sya took on a look of pain that I will never forget. Then suddenly she is in full plate armor and with a large axe starts hacking away at the door with all her strength, which appeared to have increased amazingly, for she was actually taking pieces off the door. Lucian then hears sounds coming from the hall outside and knew that this was no time to be in this particular room but, doesn’t want to leave Sya standing there alone. After all it was him who had practically dragged her back here. So he formed his own armor and sword to wait for whoever was coming to inspect the noise. Lucian sees man looking through one of the holes newly made in the door, then hears someone in the background preparing to cast so he yells to Sya, “Stop Sya, they are casting a spell,” but she couldn’t hear him through her anger and the noise of the axe hitting the door. Suddenly the door opens and Sya’s axe comes down and hit the ground with a sound that hurts everyone’s ears and shook her to her core. When everyone looks back up she is sitting on the floor the armor and axe gone and is crying. The man was looking at her in amazement and wonder, then he looked at Lucian and almost faints, behind him stood a woman who was the source of the casting. Lucian sends his armor back into the gauntlet. Then kneels besides Sya and helps her up. “Come Sya your parents are here, it is time to talk to them, and to find out what is going on.” Once she is standing on here own, he steps back as to not intrude on a family affair. After a while he moves to a wall in the shadows and sits down. After a few hours Sya and her parent start to walk down stairs. So Lucian gets up and starts to follow, but he stops and pauses for a moment then soon is heard following. Another is heard as well but is moving slower. After a few days all is made well, in the castle. Nya disappears, and is not to be heard of ever again. Sya and her parents come to an understanding and some day she will come home and settle down and take the throne just as her parents had. Preylain explains to both Lucian and Sya that they are Cousins. Lucian’s father and Sya’s ancestor were in fact cousins Ruling over tow different Keeps. The second keep had been deep in the Servos jungle and the opening like Lucian’s Keep had been in a house. The house had at one time been the home of Preylain in the years before he came back to the castle and reclaimed the Throne. Lucian happy to have some family as well as learning things he hadn’t known, says good by and moves on to continue growing stronger so that he may one day truly avenge his friends. Sya happy as well that her parents had accepted her leaving, goes out herself to find another job.
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